This section presents information and resources to help designers select and evaluate rad hard dc-dc converters for space applications such as satellites and spacecraft. This section covers both fully functional dc-dc converter modules as well as power ICs. Resources for designing rad hard dc-dc converters are also referenced here.

Where to find dc-dc converters and related power ICs for space applications

A source list of manufacturers offering rad hard dc-dc converter modules, voltage regulators, and related power ICs with details about what they offer. View this manufacturers list.

News story in HOW2POWER TODAY announces Renesas Electronics’ ISL70591SEH and ISL70592SEH radiation-hardened precision current sources, which are designed to provide current excitation to the more than 300 resistive sensors that monitor the health of a satellite’s subsystems. Read the article»

Vendors Fired Up Latest Rad Hard Power Solutions At NSREC 2018

News story in HOW2POWER TODAY highlights the power components demonstrated at the recent NSREC 2018 conference in Kona, Hawaii. These included the latest power converter modules, power semiconductors, ICs and reference designs for implementing reliable power systems in satellites and other spacecraft. Read the article»

News story in HOW2POWER TODAY describes the SVPL series of space-qualified point-of-load dc-dc converters (POLs). These converters are designed specifically for space applications facing harsh radiation environments while requiring low voltages and tight regulation for high-performance processors. Read the article»

Rad-Tolerant GaN FETs And Fast Half-Bridge Driver Target Satellites

Press release announces Teledyne e2v’s launch of a GaN power solution consisting of GaN FETs from GaN Systems and what’s called “the industry’s first rad-tolerant, half-bridge power driver for GaN high-reliability applications” from PSemi. This introduction continues the recent string of announcements about GaN power semiconductors for space applications. (See the NSREC news and other articles in this section.) Read the article»

Press release announces the ISL70321SEH and ISL73321SEH quad power supply sequencers for point-of load (POL) regulators that power high-performance FPGAs and complex, multi-rail power systems. When the company previewed these chips at NSREC 2017, it described them as the industry’s first radiation-hardened power supply sequencer ICs. (See “More Power News From NSREC 2017” below on this page.) Read the article»

Rad-Tolerant Plastic ICs Support Small Satellite Mega-Constellations

Press release announces a rad-tolerant plastic IC package and the first three parts introduced in this package. These parts include the ISL71001M 6A point-of-load regulator and two non-power components, a 3.3-V CAN transceiver and a 40-V quad precision op amp. Intersil has a long history in providing rad hard components, so the introduction of the less stringent rad tolerant devices in plastic packaging represents a new approach for them in addressing the cost-sensitive small satellites market. Read the article»

NSREC 2017 Highlights Latest Rad Hard Power Components For Space

This is How2Power’s preview of the power parts that will be shown at the NSREC 2017 conference in New Orleans. It includes rad hard (or rad tolerant) power supply ICs and modules for space applications, including a soon-to-be-released GaN FET Driver with GaN FET and other GaN transistors.
Read the article»

More Power News From NSREC 2017

This is How2Power’s post-conference report on the NSREC 2017 expo, providing news on more of the rad-hard or rad-tolerant dc-dc converters, point-of-load converters (POLs), LDOs, power MOSFETs and other components that were shown at NSREC 2017. It includes news of a rad-hard power sequencing IC, which may be the first of its kind.
Read the article»

Development of Radiation Hardened Gallium Nitride Power Conversion Systems for Satellite and Harsh Environment Applications

Press release announcing partnership between Freebird Semiconductor and Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) wherein Freebird will develop products for use in high reliability space and harsh environment applications based upon eGaN power transistors and integrated circuits.
Read the article»

Press release for IR Hi Rel’s M3G120 Series of 40W rad-hard dc-dc converters for a wide range of digital and analog satellite power systems requiring up to 15 years or more of mission life.
Read the article»

High-Rel Dual-Output DC-DC Converters Target Satellite Power Systems

News story in HOW2POWER TODAY described International Rectifier’s D Series of low-power radiation-tolerant two-output dc-dc converters.
Read the article»

Rad-Hard Power Converters Ride Intermediate Bus Into Space

This feature from HOW2POWER TODAY describes the rad-hard dc-dc converters and point-of-load converters (POLs) for space that were introduced at the 2012 NSREC conference. While this story is a few years old, keep in mind that products developed for this market have long life cycles.
Read the article»

This book is intended for those in power electronics interested in spacecraft power systems. While this is not a new publication, references such as this are somewhat rare and the concepts discussed are ones that have been developed over decades of spacecraft development. So this book remains relevant and informative. For those power system developers working in other fields and unfamiliar with space requirements, this book may be an eye opener as it sheds light on a set of environmental challenges that are literally and figuratively, out of this world.
Read the full story…

Industry events where you can learn more about rad hard dc-dc converters, power ICs and related components.

Organizations conducting research
in space electronics

Aerospace Corporation

The Aerospace Corporation’s conducts fundamental research and development for “advanced military and civilian space systems”. Its Physical Science Laboratories (PSL) consist of “more than 80 specialized laboratories” organized within three areas--Electronics and Photonics Laboratory (EPL), the Space Materials Laboratory (SML), and the Space Science Applications Laboratory (SSAL). “EPL focuses on areas of electronics and photonics directed towards development of new capabilities for space systems, as well as ensuring that new and existing systems reliably deliver 100% mission success in the rigors of the space environment.” Areas of interest for this group include “Advanced Electronic Device Technology, Space Radiation Effects on Microelectronics, Microelectronic Reliability and Physics of Failure, and Micro/Nano Analysis for Components and Material.” Visit the Website»

Jet Propulsion Laboratory—Component Engineering & Assurance Office

JPL Section 514—Component Engineering & Assurance Office “provides selection, evaluation, and acquisition of reliable electronic parts for JPL Missions. The Section develops, implements, and manages Electronic Parts Program Requirements and Plans for JPL Projects and Instruments. Section 514 supports designers in part selection and conducts review of part lists for compatibility with the intended space environment and mission life, provides acquisition of electronic parts, communicates with vendors to resolve issues and obtain parts on schedule, conducts radiation tests and provide characterization and analysis services” and more. Visit the Website»

NASA Radiation Effects and Analysis Group

Based at Goddard Space Flight Center, the REAG “performs testing & analysis investigating the effects of radiation on electronics & photonics.” Their home page targets “electronics designers, project managers, parts engineers, other radiation groups, and anyone with an interest….Testing has been performed on just about anything in the realm of electronics & photonics.” The site provides “a searchable list of devices that have been tested” as well as a test reports on these devices. Visit the Website»

NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at BNL

In support of future missions to the moon and Mars, NASA has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science to create the NSRL where “scientists use beams of ions to simulate cosmic rays and assess the risks of space radiation to human space travelers and equipment.” An extension of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s particle accelerator facilities, this lab makes use of BNL’s Booster accelerator, which is described as “the only facility in the U.S. that can produce high energy heavy ions to closely mimic the space radiation environment.”
Visit the Website»

Vanderbilt’s Institute for Space and Defense Electronics

Vanderbilt University’s Radiation Effects and Reliability Group (RERG) is described as “the only academic program directly involved in supporting the [U.S.] Department of Defense in radiation effects for strategic applications, and one of a very few programs involved in microelectronics research for space applications.” An extension of the RERG, the Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE) was created to serve governmental and commercial customers. ISDE uses its expertise in radiation effects “to meet customer microelectronics reliability needs through circuit modeling, analysis, and design.” Visit the Website»